1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for converting a mixture of air and a fuel into a reformed gaseous mixture rich with free hydrogen and feeding the reformed gaseous mixture into an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an attempt to reduce the emission of harmful components of engine exhaust gases or improve the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines, there has been proposed an internal combustion engine equipped with a fuel reforming system designed to convert a mixture of air and a fuel, such as hydrocarbon fuels, alcohols, aldehydes, ethers or a mixture of them, into a reformed gaseous mixture rich with free hydrogen and feed the reformed gaseous mixture into the engine, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,606 issued Sept. 30, 1975 to Eiji Toyoda et al. There has also been proposed a fuel reforming system for an internal combustion engine which is operative to convert a mixture of air, a fuel, such as ones referred to above, and steam (or water) into a reformed gaseous mixture rich with free hydrogen and then introduce the reformed mixture into the engine. The prior art systems include reactor vessels each containing a catalyst for facilitating a fuel reforming catalytic reaction. When or just after the engine is cold-started, the catalyst is at a low temperature and thus incapable of sufficiently facilitate the fuel reforming reaction.
The applicants' co-pending earlier application Ser. No. 641,603 filed Dec. 17, 1975 discloses a fuel reforming system for an internal combustion engine, in which a mixture of air and methanol is subjected to a catalytic reformation and converted into a reformed gaseous mixture rich with free hydrogen. The reformed mixture is then fed into the engine together with another mixture of air and a hydrocarbon fuel. The disclosure in the co-pending earlier application referred to is incorporated herein by reference.